1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching mechanism for a photographing camera which serves to perform changeover between ON/OFF of a main switch as well as changeover between NORMAL and PANORAMA MODES so that the camera may be selectively operated in NORMAL MODE, in order to provide a full-sized picture, or in PANORAMA MODE, in order to provide a picture having a size corresponding to a full-sized film frame with its upper and lower zones unexposed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An individual frame of 35 mm film will have a size of approximately 24 mm.times.36 mm when each frame of such film is used in its full size. Recently, a photographic camera having a panoramic photographing function has come into wide use, in which a picture of laterally long size corresponding to the full size but having its upper and lower zones unexposed. Such panoramic frame will have a size, for example, of approximately 16 mm.times.36 mm. Such camera will provide a picture particularly useful to record objects such as scenery and a site of construction work when these objects are photographed in PANORAMA MODE using a wide-angle objective.
The conventional photographic camera having a panoramic photographing function is typically provided with the main switch exclusively serving to make the camera ready for taking a picture and the mode changeover switch exclusively serving for changeover between NORMAL and PANORAMA MODES. For example, the objective which has been in its retracted position is put forth to its position ready for photographing as the main switch is changed over from OFF to ON. Then the mode changeover switch provided separately of the main switch may be operated to perform changeover between NORMAL and PANORAMA MODES.
However, a camera having a panoramic photographing function, of the type known in the prior art as mentioned above, requires relatively many parts. For example, in addition to switch buttons or switch knobs operatively associated with the separate switches, various members are provided interlocking these buttons or knobs with the respective switches, since these switch buttons or switch knobs are operatively associated with the separately provided main switch and the mode changeover switch. Consequently, the space for these buttons or knobs and the space for the various interlocking members must be available for the main switch and the mode changeover switch, respectively.
Moreover, with such conventional camera having a panoramic function, the camera can be made unready for photographing by changing over the main switch from ON to OFF independently of whether the photographing mode is in the NORMAL MODE or PANORAMA MODE. Accordingly, even after the main switch has been turned ON for the next photographing, the intended photographing mode can be reliably achieved only if it is first determined whether the photographing mode has been set to NORMAL or PANORAMA MODE. Specifically, in order to make the camera ready for photographing, the main switch is turned ON. Then it must be determined whether the photographing mode has been set to NORMAL or PANORAMA. If the camera is not in the desired mode, the mode changeover switch must be operated to change over this mode to the desired mode. In this way, inconveniently complicated operation is forced on the user.